A new luciferase reporter gene assay for the detection of androgenic and antiandrogenic effects based on a human prostate specific antigen promoter and PC3/AR human prostate cancer cells.

We developed a new mammalian cell-based luciferase reporter gene assay for androgenic and antiandrogenic activities of chemicals and environmental samples. Environmental samples usually have a complex matrix that may contain the constituents acting as androgen receptor (AR) agonists, AR antagonists or aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists. AhR agonists are known to elicit the antiandrogenic effect through cross-talk between AR and AhR signal transduction pathways. In this study, PC3/AR human prostate carcinoma cells were transiently transfected with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) promoter-driven luciferase expression plasmid. The cells were treated with a test compound or an environmental sample for 24 h at 37 degrees C and then measured for luciferase activity. The luciferase activity was induced by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in a concentration-dependent manner in a concentration range from 10 fM to 1 nM. R1881, a synthetic androgen receptor agonist, induced luciferase activity and its inductive effects was additive to that of DHT. The luciferase activity was not induced by cortisol, a glucocorticoid, progesterone, a progestin, and 17beta-estradiol, an estrogen in a concentration range of up to 1 microM. DHT-induced luciferase activity was reduced by bicalutamide and cyproterone acetate, AR antagonists, and also by benzo[a]pyrene, an aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist, through AhR-mediated pathways. All of these findings indicate that the present assay system correctly responds to AR agonists, AR antagonists and AhR agonist and, therefore, it is a powerful tool for the sensitive and selective screening of chemicals and environmental samples for their androgenic and antiandrogenic activities. We developed the first assay system, in which the expression of luciferase was driven by the promoter of a prostate-specific antigen gene, a typical human androgen-regulated gene.     

Genetic optical design for a compressive sensing task

We present a sophisticated optical design method for reducing the number of photodetectors for a specific sensing task. The chosen design parameter is the point spread function, and the selected task is object recognition. The point spread function is optimized iteratively with a genetic algorithm for object recognition based on a neural network. In the experimental demonstration, binary classification of face and non-face datasets was performed with a single measurement using two photodetectors. A spatial light modulator operating in the amplitude modulation mode was provided in the imaging optics and was used to modulate the point spread function. In each generation of the genetic algorithm, the classification accuracy with a pattern displayed on the spatial light modulator was fed-back to the next generation to find better patterns. The proposed method increased the accuracy by about 30 % compared with a conventional imaging system in which the point spread function was the delta function. This approach is practically useful for compressing the cost, size, and observation time of optical sensors in specific applications, and robust for imperfections in optical elements.     

An intense terahertz radiation source at the Compact ERL

The Compact ERL is an energy recovery LINAC (ERL) test facility that is planned for KEK. The circumference of the recirculation path will be 70 m. Initially, the beam energy will be about 65 MeV and the current about 10 mA. Although the primary purpose of the machine is to aid the development of the key technologies that are essential for building an ultra-brilliant new synchrotron light source based on an ERL, the Compact ERL itself has great potential as an intense source of terahertz radiation. To generate the intense terahertz radiation, an electron bunch of a very short bunch length is required and bunch compression is inevitable. We discuss the parameters of the Compact ERL, present the results of a simulation of bunch compression, and make an estimate of the generated coherent synchrotron radiation.     

Stress-assisted nucleation and growth of γ″ and γ′ precipitates in a Cu–1.2 wt%Be–0.1 wt%Co alloy aged at 320°C

An investigation by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy of the precipitation process during ageing a Cu–1.2?wt%Be–0.1?wt%Co alloy at 320°C has revealed that the transition phases follow a γ″→ γ″?+?γ′?→?γ sequence. The γ′ phase heterogeneously precipitates on the γ″ phase. The effects of an external stress on the nucleation and growth of disc-shaped γ″ and plate-shaped γ′ precipitates have been examined for the alloy aged at 320°C. A compressive stress applied in the [001] direction during ageing preferentially accelerates the nucleation and growth of the γ″ variant normal to the [001] axis among three crystallographically equivalent variants and the specific four γ′ variants formed on the γ″ variant normal to the [001] axis. A tensile stress does not significantly affect those of γ″ and γ′ precipitates. The critical diameter of the disc-shaped γ″ nucleus is estimated as about 1?nm from evaluation of the interaction energy between the applied stress and the misfit strains of γ″ precipitates. It is proposed that applied external stress does not affect the diffusion rate but the interphase boundary velocity.     

Ultrasonic butt welding of aluminum,aluminum alloy and stainless steel plate specimens

Welding characteristics of aluminum, aluminum alloy and stainless steel plate specimens of 6.0 mm thickness by a 15 kHz ultrasonic butt welding system were studied. There are no detailed welding condition data of these specimens although the joining of these materials are required due to anticorrosive and high strength characteristics for not only large specimens but small electronic parts especially. These specimens of 6.0 mm thickness were welded end to end using a 15 kHz ultrasonic butt welding equipment with a vibration source using eight bolt-clamped Langevin type PZT transducers and a 50 kW static induction thyristor power amplifier. The stainless steel plate specimens electrolytically polished were joined with welding strength almost equal to the material strength under rather large vibration amplitude of 25 microm (peak-to-zero value), static pressure 70 MPa and welding time of 1.0-3.0 s. The hardness of stainless steel specimen adjacent to a welding surface increased about 20% by ultrasonic vibration.     

掺杂ZnSe/BeTe Ⅱ型量子阱结构中带电激子的磁场效应

报道了n型掺杂ZnSe/BeTe/ZnSe Ⅱ型量子阱(type-Ⅱ QW)在极低温 (5—10 K)条件下的各种光学性质. 磁场中(Farada配置)ZnSe层的反射光谱展示了一个典型的负的带电激子(X^-)的跃迁特征. 对于空间间接光致发光(spacially indirect PL)光谱,它的主发光峰显示了一个反玻尔兹曼分布的非对称性,并且在磁场中(Voigt配置)它的峰值能量随磁场的增加而降低. 这些实验结果显示了该掺杂样品的空间间接PL是来自Ⅱ型QW结构所特有的带电激子的跃迁. 关键词： 光致发光 二维电子气 带电激子 Ⅱ型量子阱     

A new application of statistical moment theory to evaluate the swelling behavior of thermo-responsive gels

The loosely cross-linked poly(acryloyl-L -proline methyl ester) gel, which is known as one of the typical thermo-responsive gels, shows a volume transition around approximately 14°C in pure water. This volume transition is shifted to higher temperature by treatment in aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The analysis of the swelling-temperature curve (frequency distribution) was performed according to a moment analysis, in which the area under the swelling-temperature curve (AUC), mean swelling transition temperature (MSTT) and variance of swelling transition temperature (VSTT) were calculated. It is shown that the apparent volume transition temperature can be estimated from MSTT and that VSTT can be used to characterize the shape of the corresponding curves.     

Brush‐First ROMP of poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomers of varied length: impact of polymer architecture on thermal behavior and Li+ conductivity

The properties of polymeric materials are dictated not only by their composition but also by their molecular architecture. Here, by employing brush‐first ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), norbornene‐terminated poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) macromonomers ( MM‐n , linear architecture), bottlebrush polymers ( Brush‐n , comb architecture), and brush‐arm star polymers ( BASP‐n , star architecture), where n indicates the average degree of polymerization (DP) of PEO, are synthesized. The impact of architecture on the thermal properties and Li⁺ conductivities for this series of PEO architectures is investigated. Notably, in polymers bearing PEO with the highest degree of polymerization, irrespective of differences in architecture and molecular weight (~100‐fold differences), electrolytes with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) as an Li⁺ source exhibit normalized ionic conductivities (σ_n) within only 4.9 times difference (σ_n = 29.8 × 10^?5 S cm^?1 for MM‐45 and σ_n = 6.07 × 10^?5 S cm^?1 for BASP‐45 ) at a concentration of Li⁺ r = [Li⁺]/[EO] = 1/12 at 50 °C. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 448–455